Club Lab

Epizodes

• We robot tested 2026 players irons 03.06.2026 26min

  Robot testing is not just for drivers! JWall and Uncle Gene put the latest offerings in the players irons category to the test on the Golf Laboratories swing robot, and, well, it's time for Gene to eat some crow.
• What to know about irons, with Chris Marchini 27.05.2026 1h 3min

  Director of Golf Performance and Innovation at Dick's and Golf Galaxy Chris Marchini is back with JWall and Uncle Gene to answer your questions about irons, including what to look for in a fitting, how you know when it's time to get new irons and specific data points he uses to get the right clubs in players' hands.
• Why TaylorMade's Qi4D loft sleeve is so important 20.05.2026 48min

  TaylorMade's newest driver, the Qi4D, is both lower launching and lower spinning than its Qi10 and Qi35 predecessors, but that only tells part of the story. JWall and Uncle Gene go in depth on what that actually means for ball flight and how adjusting the loft sleeve can make a big difference. But first, a surprise PGA Championship winner claims a major with some old equipment, TaylorMade moves to a two-year driver cycle and Bridgestone releases a black golf ball.
• We tested a cult classic against a current driver 13.05.2026 49min

  We put a cult classic driver up against its modern-day descendant on a swing robot and the results are in. But first, a smorgasbord of PGA Championship equipment notes, featuring Brooks Koepka's new putter, all 31 of Justin Rose's McLaren irons, Rickie Fowler's shortest driver of his career and a new L.A.B. Golf prototype putter appears. And would Cameron Young's golf ball actually conform under the proposed rollback rules?
• Robot testing drivers at 105 mph 06.05.2026 55min

  You asked. We answered. Robot testing on drivers at 105 mph results are in. But first, Tony Finau makes another putter change, Jordan Spieth does some more tinkering and switches to a ball you can play, while Cameron Young is playing one you cannot.
• Analyzing three iterations of Ping drivers 01.05.2026 48min

  JWall and Uncle Gene dive into the robot data on three iterations of Ping drivers. But first, McLaren enters the golf club space, but can they have staying power without a driver. And Brooks Koepka is once again an equipment free agent.
• Crunching the numbers on 3 years of Cobra drivers 23.04.2026 44min

  The robot testing data is in on the last three years of Cobra drivers. But first, why Uncle Gene feels like he was beaten with a sack of quarters, and the return of the blade?
• Robot testing three years of Callaway drivers 15.04.2026 1h 14min

  JWall and Uncle Gene crunch the numbers on the past three years of Callaway drivers. But first, why Uncle Gene skipped Coachella this year, a Masters equipment recap and a deep dive on the proposed ball rollback.
• An interview with Steve Williams 06.04.2026 50min

  Steve Williams has been part of 14 major-winning player-caddie duos helping some of the best players across multiple generations decide which club to hit and how. He joined Jonathan Wall to discuss what 40 years inside the ropes can tell us about equipment that no launch monitor can.
• Comparing three years of TaylorMade drivers 01.04.2026 1h

  It's that time of year again. New drivers are out and JWall and Uncle Gene have tested them on the robot. This week, we dive into the last three TaylorMade driver families: Qi10, Qi35 and Qi4D. Plus, it's Masters limited release season, when brands drop their Augusta-themed merch, Gary Woodland completes his improbable comeback with a unicorn driver and why Jake Knapp is a crazy person.
• Titleist releases a new driver ... in March? 26.03.2026 1h 3min

  Same pod, new name. The Golf IQ Equipment Pod is now Club Lab! On this episode, JWall and Uncle Gene discuss Titleist's March (?!) driver release, a new putting contraption and a new brand in the golf space.
• Kicking off 2026 golf season with Chris Marchini (3/11/26) 16.03.2026 1h 1min

  Spring is coming, which means golf season is near. There's no better way to kick off the season than with Director of Golf Performance and Innovation for Dick's and Golf Galaxy Chris Marchini. JWall, Uncle Gene and Marchini touch on a weird gear note from the PGA Tour, Jim Furyk's recent comments and 2026 driver releases.
• Behind the curtain with TaylorMade's head of putters (3/6/26) 16.03.2026 37min

  As mallets, and more specifically, the TaylorMade Spider have become the dominant putter on tour and in recreational golf, there's one man with invaluable insight into the process behind how they're made and tuned for tour pros. James Holley joins Jonathan Wall to take listeners behind the scenes of TaylorMade's process.
• The best 2026 drivers for your toe miss (2/25/26) 16.03.2026 49min

  Last week was for our heel strikers, this week is for our toe strikers. Plus, putter fads, a bit of a gear surprise and a deep dive on Uncle Gene's snowboarding escapades.
• The best 2026 drivers for your heel miss (2/19/26) 16.03.2026 52min

  No parking lot recording this week. JWall and Uncle Gene dive into a treasure trove of data regarding heel misses on the 2026 lineup of drivers. Plus, some notes on Anthony Kim's bag as he returned to the winner's circle for the first time in almost 16 years. But first, Gene explains why he's lucky to have not been knocked out by Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk.
• Problem area and cheat code face locations on 2026 drivers (2/11/26) 16.03.2026 1h 1min

  It's Pebble Beach Week, but JWall and Uncle Gene are diving into the first results from robot testing on 2026 drivers. They've identified problem areas and cheat code locations on certain faces. This episode is heaven for a Numbers Nerd. Plus, notes from Pebble, including a new Scotty Cameron insert, a Rory iron change and notes on mini drivers.
• Identifying trends in 2026 drivers (2/4/26) 16.03.2026 1h 2min

  The numbers are in on our 2026 driver tests, and with Uncle Gene's newfound AI skills, we're able to identify some trends faster than ever before. Plus, a legendary WMPO robot story and an interesting gear tidbit about Justin Rose.
• Recapping the PGA Show and previewing the year ahead (1/28/26) 16.03.2026 1h 3min

  JWall and Uncle Gene are BACK from the PGA Show and have insights on things they saw, and didn't see in Orlando. Plus, gear signings and a look ahead to 2026.
• Callaway's next big driver breakthrough (1/16/26) 16.03.2026 44min

  Callaway's VP of Global Tour and Product Strategy Jacob Davidson joins JWall on the latest Gear Pod to discuss the new line of Quantum drivers, which features never-before-used technology in the driver space.
• How TaylorMade flipped the driver script (1/8/26) 16.03.2026 1h 10min

  The first gear pod of 2026 kicks off with an interview with TaylorMade tour rep Adrian Rietveld and a deep dive into some of the brand's top stars, including Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Charley Hull. Plus, more information on TaylorMade's driver for 2026, the Qi4D.